Embodiments of the present invention have application where it is desired to discharge fluids into an orifice for further processing. As capillaries, tubes, conduits and pipes for discharging fluid become smaller, such capillaries, tubes, conduits and pipes become more difficult to handle and to position with respect to orifices with which the discharge capillary, tube, conduit or pipe needs to communicate. This discussion will use the terms “capillary”, “tube”, “conduit” and “pipe” synonymously and without connoting differences in size or scale.
Embodiments of the present invention have particular application in instruments in which one device needs to be placed in fluid communication with another. For example, without limitation, in chemical analysis, it is useful to have one instrument, a chromatographic system, placed in communication with a detector. A chromatographic system is a instrument or combination of instruments that perform chemical separations.
A chromatographic separation is the separation of compounds from each other based on the different affinity the compounds have to an immobile phase. Solutions carrying the compounds move through the immobile phase causing the compounds to separate. High performance liquid chromatography is performed with a liquid as the mobile phase. The liquid is forced through a immobile solid phase comprising a bed of particles or matrix or monolithic porous structures or the walls of vessels in which the mobile phase flows.
The detector may take different forms. Common detectors include optical sensors, mass sensors and electron spin detectors and the like. One form of mass detector is a mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometers operate under vacuum.
The term “chromatographic system” is used herein to describe equipment to perform chemical separations. These systems move fluids under pressure. Chromatographic systems are placed in fluid communication with mass spectrometers through interfaces. These interfaces create or maintain the compounds in an ionic form and place a stream of fluid containing the ions into an atmosphere where the stream is vaporized and the ions are received in an orifice of the mass spectrometer. The orifice separates the low pressure chambers of the mass spectrometer from the atmospheric pressure of the interface.
The stream of fluid containing the ions is created by small diameter conduits, tubes or capillaries. These conduits, tubes and capillaries are positioned with respect to the orifice to maximize signal and produce reproducible results. However, the tubes, conduits and capillaries can be occluded, or break or require changes for servicing or changes of methods. These tubes, capillaries and conduits are difficult to handle, align and fix in place.